Fireman s tower



(No Mudel.)

13,. B. MAGNUS.

PIREMANS TOWER Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

PATENT Curios,

EUGENE B. MAGNUS, OF SOUTH NORXVALK, CONNECTICUT.

FIREMANS Tow'ss.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed January 15, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE B. Mnsnuspf South Norwalk, Fairfield county, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Firemans Tower, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a certain combination of ladders and means of connecting them, the whole forming a scaling-tower for firemen, which may be set on the ground at a safe or moderate distance from a burning building, and which presents a series or group of inclined ladders in different planes around an imaginary center, wherebyv convenience is afforded for a number of firemen to stand in difierent positions, and at varying elevations to simultaneously play with their respective hose in various directions upon the burning structure, also whereby the tower may be 2 readilyput together and dismembered to facilitate its erection, removal, and packing away. By the combination of an addition or exten sion ladder and suitable props, the tower may also be used as a fire escape and means for the 2 firemen to work closer and at a still higher elevation, or to enter the burning building,all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 0' drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the laddertower as erected in front of a burn-' ing building, with appendages for use also as a fire-escape; and Fig. 2 is aplan, upon a larger scale, of a certain triangular brace or tie for uniting the series of tower-ladders at their upper ends. V

A, B, and C indicate three ladders, which may be of ordinary or any suitable construction, and of any desired length. These ladders, when not in use to form the tower, may be separately carried or packed away, thus afi'ording great convenience for storing them and for carrying them to and from a fire. Said ladders, which are preferably of uniform length,are arranged,when erected, to form the tower, so that each ladder in its transverse or so horizontal section constitutes one and differout side, or side in part, of atriangular figure, said ladders,too, meeting, or nearly so, at their Patent No. 296,419, dated April 8, 1884.

(No model.)

I upper ends, but inclining outward in a down ward direction, so as to give a wide or steady base, and by the arrangement or grouping of them, as described, constituting a series of scaling-tower sides in different planes around an imaginary upright center line. To pro vide for thus arranging and erecting these ladders, the same are united at or near their upper ends by means of a triangular brace or tie, "D D, on which the ladders are free to turn to provide for setting them in or out at their lower ends. The one portion D of this upper connecting device consists of a single red bent to form two sides or legs of a triangle, each of which has slid on or over it, respectively,the upper ends of the ladders AB, that have their sides suitably perforated for the purpose, and so that they are free to turn on said legs. The other side or leg D of the triangular tie, which has the ladder C similarly fitted on it, is a separate piece, and is united with the legs of the piece D by causing outer end portions 22 b of said legs to pass through slotted end portions 0 c of the separate leg or piece D, and afterward securing them by keys or cotters (Z d, which may be at tached by cords or chains to the ladder C.

The lower end portions of the several 1adders A B C are or may be connected by engaging and disengaging and preferably ad- 3' ustable hooked rods, cords, or hooking-chains s s, to hold the ladders at their base properly extended.

By means of this scalingtower a number of firemen may ascend to a convenient height, and occupy different facial positions to play with their hose or nozzles on a burning building, and at such distance therefrom as to protect them from being scorched or injured.

To use the scaling-tower as a fire-escape, or to provide for the firemen manipulating their hose at a still higher elevation and closer to the building, or to allow of the firemen entering the burning building through an upper window or door, the tower-ladder nearest the building may receive on over one of its rounds the lower slotted end of a supplementary ladder, E, which may rest at its upper end against the building, and said supporting tower-ladder be braced by props F F, having slotted attachments e at their upper ends, arranged to receive within them a round of the supporting towerdadder, and provided with pointed ends or spurs ff at their lower ends for entrywithin the ground to secure them in position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the scaling sides or ladders A B G 6f the tower, of a triangular upper connecting device constructed to provide for the swinging or turning of the ladders respectively upon its several sides or legs, essentially as described.

2. The combination, with the ladders A B O, of a triangular upper connecting device composed of independent sections 'D' D, the one of which is made to form two sides orlegs of the triangle, and the other the remaining leg thereof, and which are constructed to provide for the swinging of the ladders on them, and to allow'of the dismemberment and se: curing of said sections and the ladders carried 20 by them, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with amany-sided ladder-tower, substantially as described, of the supplementary ladder E, slotted at its lower ends, and the upper slotted and lower pointed 25 props F F, essentially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

E. B. MAG-NUS.

\Vi tn esses I CARLISLE NORWOOD, WM. SHIrsEY. 

